Augusta invests millions in ... parking lot?

Just when you thought Augusta National Golf Club couldn’t outdo itself, it spends $8.3 million to buy nearby land on which it intends to build a parking lot, according to a report in Bloomberg News.

Last year, Augusta purchased a garden apartment complex that since has been demolished, according to the report. The 9.8-acre site will be used for parking and other support services, an Augusta spokesman told Bloomberg News.

“Any other commentary would be misleading and potentially create public speculation that is unncessary,” club spokesman Steve Ethun told Bloomberg News.

Affordable hotels within Augusta’s ZIP code are few and far between, leading to speculation that cabins could be built there in addition to a parking lot.

Perhaps Adam Scott would want to invest in the parking lot. He won the Masters last year, which catapulted him into such a successful season he’s closing in on taking over the world’s No. 1 ranking from Tiger Woods.

Also ...

Steve Stricker posted a fantastic picture on Twitter on offseason practice in Wisconsin. The practice range is in a white-out of snow, but you can see the yard-marker flags. He wrote: “Golfing in November in Wisconsin! #backtowork” ... Dustin Johnson was on the red carpet this past weekend with fiancee Paulina Gretzky, who presented an award at the American Music Awards. ... Speaking of celebrity sightings, Rory McIlroy met Will Ferrell on a recent flight to Australia and scored an invitation to the premiere of “Anchorman 2.”